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On March 29, the Crowley Maritime Corp. crew aboard the company-managed USNS Invincible demonstrated their commitment to environmental stewardship by saving a distressed sea turtle, which had become entangled in nets and fishing lines in offshore waters near Southwest Asia. The at-sea rescue, which the crew dubbed “Turtle Ops,” was performed when the crew had no pending operations, and could be executed safely and efficiently.

To aid the entangled turtle, the crew used the USNS Invincible’s bow thruster to maneuver the ship into position to bring the sea creature alongside and onboard. The Crowley crew, along with U.S. military personnel onboard, then cut away the nets and fishing lines, and released the turtle back into the ocean.“There’s a well-known unwritten maritime law that a sailor should always help another seafarer in need on the high seas and, for Crowley, that mentality extends to all forms of ocean life,” said Crowley’s Ira Douglas, director, marine personnel. “Rescuing a life, even a turtle’s, gave us the opportunity to practice our Man Overboard drill and demonstrate outstanding character, as well as our commitment to being good stewards of the marine environment.”

“The diligent crew and teams responded beautifully as a cohesive unit,” said USNS Invincible Master Bradford Collins.The USNS Invincible is part of the T-AGOS/T-AGM fleet and is operated for Military Sealift Command by Crowley's government services group. The ship is manned in all licensed positions by American Maritime Officers (AMO) and unlicensed positions by Seafarers International Union (SIU).

About Crowley MaritimeOver the past 125 years, Crowley has developed a portfolio of services to support the U.S. government’s operations both domestically and abroad. The team is led by industry and military veterans who combine the technical and professional capabilities of the company to offer best-in-class operations, engineering, and contract management support. Crowley provides bundled vessel management solutions for Military Sealift Command; the Maritime Administration, as part of the Government's Ready Reserve Force (RRF) Program; and Naval Sea Systems Command. The group also provides other services including custodial services for vessels seized by U.S. government agencies; naval architecture and marine engineering; project management; specialized towing operations; specialty cargo moves; full transportation logistics; and a host of other offerings tailored specifically for the diverse needs of the government. For more information, visit Crowley.com/government
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